The Thirteenth Chime Review

The Thirteenth Chime (Sense of Truth 1)

-       Emma Michaels

Publisher: Bokheim Publishing

HATRED NEVER DIES...
Destiny has finally found the life that she has always wanted. She is about to finish college, has a fiance that loves her, and a great summer on the West Coast planned with her friend, Stephanie. But her world is turned upside down when an antique clock mysteriously chimes thirteen times and someone attacks them, sending Stephanie and her mother to the hospital.
Alone, and without any help from the police, Destiny has no choice but to turn to the one man she had left behind a year ago - her ex-boyfriend, David. Together, they must solve the riddle of the thirteenth chime before the clock strikes thirteen again. Yet as they face their own past and hearts, a trap over half a century old is waiting for them to become its prey.
For revenge, fifty years is never too long...

This is a creepy, spooky story centring on ex-couple – Destiny and David. Destiny calls David to help explain what she saw the night that her friend and mother were attacked. Although they haven’t spoken in over a year, David is the first one Destiny thinks about calling – even more so than her own fiancé. There are two elements to the story – the vestige of the relationship between the two and the mystery surrounding the house and what happened that night. I really liked David – he was heroic and intelligent – really getting his teeth into helping Destiny. However, I really didn’t like her much – she left David after he had risked his life to save her and then not spoken to him in a year. She was a little selfish throughout in my opinion.

There are some great action sequences – especially at the finale. And the town was a very picturesque place – I could picture it vividly. The coastal setting and the prison island were well described.

The mystery was interesting, although the idea of Sense, which David studied as part of his thesis, is a little elusive. I’m not entirely sure what it is supposed to be – actual ghosts or memories haunting a place, but I would hope that this explained in more detailed in future books. Overall though the story was fast paced and different from anything else out there – even if I wasn’t sure what it was David was investigating at times. It’s a strong start to the series and I am curious to see what the sense of truth is really about. Plus I have a little crush on David! J

Recommended for fans of Heather Graham and Nora Roberts. 7 out of 10.